Gentle Giant… So Ji Sub

There’s something special … or rather unique, about So Ji Sub. What is unusual about him is that he seem strong (due mainly to his built), yet extremely vulnerable on-screen at the same time. 

So Ji Sub in "Cain & Abel"

He was best remembered for his role in MISA, which I had a good impression of too. But I wasn’t taken by the love story, as most fans were. I thought it’s more of a tale about the estranged fate between a mother and her son. I was however more impressed with the top-notch acting and rustic cinematography that won me over.

And after two years of military service, So finally returned to the small screen with SBS’s revenge thriller “Cain & Abel” and this drama outing only affirmed what a wonderful actor he is.

The project was delayed countless times and saw some major cast changes and script rewrites as well. But So stuck with the project and the production team returned his loyalty with “Cain & Abel”.

“Cain & Abel” is serious drama that’s high on quality but suffers just a tad from a weak and somewhat clichéd plot. However, the brilliant performance from the cast saved the show, which made it an enjoyable watch.

So admitted more than once that he’s drawn to complicated characters – including some that his fans may not like – so it’s not hard to understand his choice of MISA and “Cain & Abel”.

Lee Cho In is an interesting, and well fleshed out character in “Cain & Abel”. It also gave So lots of room to work his character which went from a jovial, naïve and skilled doctor in the early episodes to a man on the run, and finally, a angsty character with a vindictive mission.

And he was on the mark with his delivery – the slight changes in the tones of his speech over the episodes as his character develops, and the mannerisms as well. Many actors have fallen prey to over-acting, especially in dramatic roles, so it was a relief to see that he’d avoid the trap.  

The 1.82-meter tall actor towers over her co-star in MISA but that didn’t stop the pair from becoming one of the Korean TV drama’s favorite couple. And it was the same with Han Ji Min in his latest work. Like everyone else, I didn’t think they’ll make a likely pair, but on and off-screen, the  chemistry between the two were faultless.

Gentle is often the word that fans use to describe So – an odd choice for someone with his built. But for those who are familiar with the introverted star, it’s an apt description.

I met this lady a few years ago – in 2005 I think – she was at So Ji Sub’s fanmeeting in Seoul and she was recounting to me how surprised she was to find out that this actor is such a shy and reserved guy.

The lady - a retiree who is taking Korean language classes at a school in Seoul – is obviously a fan. I didn’t take her words too seriously, until I chanced upon a YouTube clip that showed him in an old interview alongside Hallyu stars Song Seng Hun and Park Yong Ha. They were asked about their impressions of So and both fellow actors gave some really funny accounts. But more importantly, their stories shed light on the kind of person So is.  (YouTube clip here  – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TNfO-H2S-E&feature=related)

The interviewer also shared his account. He was travelling on a small plane with So. The interviewer was on the edge of his seat most of the time because there were much turbulence and the plane was shaking wildly. He stole a peek at So and found that he was unperturbed by the turbulence and continued with his reading quietly. After the plane landed, the interviewer asked So if he were scared if there was a mishap.

His reply was “If I were to die, everyone else on the plane would die too.”

That line says a lot about him, I think.

I can still remember watching So and his MISA co-star at an award show – the genteel and thoughtful demeanor towards Lim Su-jung was especially impressionable.

The star confessed being an introvert and doesn’t like talking in front of people. Interestingly, the actor is crazy about hip-hop music.  Off cameras, he’ll be sporting curly hair in true hip-hop fashion.  He had even performed some hip-hop tunes at his fanmeeting in the past.

And more recently, he started dabbling in hip-hop music –  going by the name G. The singles are released in Japan.

PS: I came across a clip of him at the 2009 NY Asian Film Fest, for his movie “Rough Cut”. You can see a very enthusiatic crowd and the very tall So Ji Sub.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=so+ji+sub&search_type=&aq=f

Advertisement